1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved support bar for supporting and retaining garment hangers on garment transport carts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The business of garment cleaning and distribution requires that the clothing be transported after a cleaning service is complete, or upon distribution of new clothing. Garments are often transported in bulk and hung on hangers, which are then hung on a support bar located on a garment transport cart. Typical carts are capable of carrying a number of hangered garments along the length of a top support bar and can come in varying lengths, such as a 72P size cart. A common problem with these carts, especially when transported on the road, is that bumps cause the garment hangers to fall off the support bar. Such an event has obvious drawbacks when dealing with new or newly cleaned garments. Prior art devices are known in this field that attempt to secure garments on a transport bar. However, known prior art devices have several drawbacks, such as in their complex and expensive designs, lack of adjustable lengths, and lack of providing a universal fit for multiple standard size garment transport carts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,102 to Winton describes a clamping device for attachment to a garment support bar. The Winton patent, while being effective in securing garment hangers, must be installed onto an existing bar, which requires tools and time. The device also includes numerous parts, which may cause manufacturing time and cost to be high. Furthermore, the Winton device is not intended to fit on garment transport carts, but instead describes a clamping device for fixed garment bars, such as those in campers or trailers. As a result of its intended use, the device is not adjustable in length and is therefore incapable of fitting multiple size bars, such as those found on standard transport carts, with the clamping device. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,896 to DiFranco describes garment support bar specifically designed for use in tractor trailers. While Difanco claims a rotating rod that secures the hangers in place, it is not suitable, nor intended, for attachment to a transport cart
Other known devices clamp down on the hangers, as opposed to rotating or pivoting about the support bar. These designs are, by their own nature, more complex and require more moving parts, which in turn leads to higher manufacturing costs as well as higher costs to the consumer. These devices are best illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,355 to Hall and U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,915 to Waner, while less complicated forms of the clamp down design are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,727 to Simmerman and U.S. Pat. No. 7,037,728 to Cameron. In addition to the much different clamp down designs of these patents, they face the same drawbacks as in Winston in that they are not adjustable and not clearly intended for use on transport carts.
Still other known devices in the field of garment support bars include those that consist of a removable cover attached over the hangers and secured to the bar. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,628 to Sahlem describes a curved cover that sits over the tops of the hangers and support bar and is strapped to the bar with a hook and loop type material. While this device is economical in design, it requires that the user remove the device each time access to a hanger is required. Such a device may be well suited for long term shipment and storage, but may be less practical when delivering cloths one at a time, as the device would have to be repeatedly removed and secured again.